Author Topic: Fuel Injection Pump Adjustment Hack  (Read 7586 times)

mrfatboy

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Fuel Injection Pump Adjustment Hack
« on: February 26, 2008, 20:03:36 »
If you have been reading some of my threads you probably know by now that my FIP runs rich and the mixture seems to "float" rich to lean and back again when it feels like it.

My idle adjustment screw is frozen so I can't adjust that.  I know that you can remove shims under the WRD and/or Barometer Compensator to lean out the mixture at all ranges.  From what little I understand, the WRD & BC push down on the rack to make it leaner. I wanted to find a way to adjust the "all ranges" mixture on the fly so I can listen to the engine changes. So I came up with this little idea......

I jimmy rigged a little adjuster bolt for lean & richness.  I used a 14mm/1.50 pitch bolt & nut and inserted it where the BC was (see attached pic).  I know this is just temporary but it gave me an idea what to look and feel for when I played with all of the settings.  It was quick and easy and had great feedback. I should be able to measure how far the bolt was in and try to replicate it. I know that 2mm is too rich and 0mm is too lean.  

This seems like a good idea for a quick test with feedback but I wanted to ask all the pros what they thought of this idea. I know that you will ultimately have to correct the mixture the right way but this method let me know what to look for. So what do you think?  Stupid idea?, great tip? Or I'm I missing something?

Download Attachment: Make Shift Mixture adjuster.jpg
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1969 280sl
Signal Red
1969 280sl (Aug 1968 build)
Signal Red
4 Speed

mrfatboy

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Re: Fuel Injection Pump Adjustment Hack
« Reply #1 on: February 29, 2008, 22:25:00 »
hmmmmm,  50 views and nobody has a comment?

1969 280sl
Signal Red
1969 280sl (Aug 1968 build)
Signal Red
4 Speed

Tom Colitt

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Re: Fuel Injection Pump Adjustment Hack
« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2008, 00:39:06 »
Hi

What you have done has unfortunately become a substitute for a working barometric compensator these days. Endorsed and used as well, by the leading injection pump rebuilders that I have spoken to. As many may know the compensator is no longer supplied by MB nor Bosch (maybe lobying will help). All the compensator does is adjust the whole rpm range of the pump for rare changes in atmospheric pressure (i.e. altitude as well) and as you've discovered, screwing it in or out a bit has drastic effects on the mixture.

Being a bit of a stickler for originality and look, I have not been satisfied with the standard option from the injection pump people that you can't re-plate these compensators. The problem is, if the parts are not already internally damaged or worn out, there is a good chance that the plating process will throw the calibration of the pin that protrudes from it off. The only cure is to correct for this error by (usually) adding shims or by cutting the pin.

I have found that the warm running device, which acts on exactly the same internal pump lever, with the same big effect on the mixture, is often a likely culprit with unreliable fuel mixture issues as well. The slides can get stuck. If you clean them, and they work freely they can work for a while/ or not. If you carefully remove any scarring from the aluminum piston inside the (likewise aluminum) housing/"stack"/WRD, they may work well again, but I've also seen units that appeared to work well and shut of the supplemental air as expected, but that have become loose enough that they draw a bit of residual air that throws off the mixture.

This is one device that might fall into the category "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", since disassembly and cleaning might cause damage, but unfortunately you don't have a choice when you want your car to look and function like new.

Regards,

Tom Colitt

Shvegel

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Re: Fuel Injection Pump Adjustment Hack
« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2008, 03:40:01 »
On my car the thing that drove me nuts was that the warmup air filter had disintegrated(someone tried replating it) and to top disc from the filter would plug up the warm up air intake every now and then. It caused a really fun intermittant warm up problem.

hands_aus

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Re: Fuel Injection Pump Adjustment Hack
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2008, 06:11:00 »
Every six months when I change the engine oil and injection pump oil (early 250sl), I add a couple of drops to the WRD valve. I undo the 2 screws and remove the top unit to make sure the valve is moving smoothly.

I remember someone else on either here or the old Yahoo site mentioning that they had replaced the WRD valve with a bolt because they were having problems with the air/fuel mixture  during warm up.
Apparently he lived in a constanly warm client, maybe lower California.

Bob Smith (Brisbane,Australia)
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Bob Smith (Brisbane,Australia)
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mrfatboy

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Re: Fuel Injection Pump Adjustment Hack
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2008, 10:21:39 »
I was mainly thinking of this method for a diagnostic device.  There are so many threads about running lean or rich and I was one of them :)

I just wanted a quick way to check "what could be" in the fuel/air mixture (all ranges) without removing the WRD and taking out or putting in a shim at a time.  Using this method is a lot faster and easier to diagnose the mixture. Ultimately, I would put back the BC and do it the right way.

1969 280sl
Signal Red
1969 280sl (Aug 1968 build)
Signal Red
4 Speed